~ Dispatches from Abu Dhabi

Tag Archives: India

One of the reasons I wanted to live in Dubai is that it is the ideal hub for any travel in the Middle East, as well as Asia and Europe. My first year here I was completely consumed with work and did not travel at all so I’ve since made it my mission to remedy that. Last November I went to Kathmandu, Nepal for a 3-day weekend, in December I was in Cannes for work for a week and did a side trip to Monaco for the weekend, and in January I jetted to Doha, Qatar for the weekend.

But the most impactful was my trip to Goa, India last weekend – just a 3 hour direct flight from Dubai – where I spent 3 nights and 4 days at Lotus Yoga Retreat. I would like to say that India really is Incredible and that I saw all the sights but I did not. I barely ventured more than 100 metres away from the retreat. I found that when I arrived, all of the long hours and stress from the last year surfaced and my body just wanted rest. I could hardly stay awake for the first two days and anyone who knows me, knows that sleep does not come easily.

I stayed in an amazing little hut on the beach where the sound of waves crashing would lull me to sleep. In the morning, everyone would wander to the main hut where we could have juice and fruit before the first yoga session at 8:30 a.m. in the Ocean Shala The 90-minute classes always went by so quickly and while the stunning view of the sun rising over the water was slightly distracting, it also lent a powerful sense of calm, serenity and clarity. Our yoga instructors varied with every class and it was interesting to get a mix of teaching styles. The yoga itself was not as challenging as I expected – everyone’s ability ranged from complete beginner to my level of experience – however it was the first time I have ever slowed down long enough to really look deeper than the physical aspect of yoga. Some of our teachers were light and funny and had us giggling through the session while others lead us through amazing meditations and others still started a session by having us lie on our backs hugging our knees to our chests and telling ourselves “I love you” – because really, when was the last time you said that to yourself?

After yoga, I would have to make the difficult decision of where to nap – hut, hammock or beach. Yummy brunch of salads, eggs, tofu curries and the like was served from 11-12:00 p.m., tea and biscuits in the afternoon and then the second yoga session from 4:30-6:00 p.m. Our days were our own – almost everyone stayed nearby resting, reading, swimming or sunning. Because most people were staying from 2 weeks to one month, I was one of the few going to every class. It was very flexible and free, not nearly the regimented program I expected it to be.

Over the weekend, I also read a book that I had picked up about a year ago but just wasn’t ready to read. It is called The Power and is the follow-up to The Secret. I think I’m the only person on the planet who had not read one or both of these books but if you are like me, to summarize they are about the Law of Attraction. Simply put, positive or negative thoughts can bring positive or negative results. Regardless of your own perspective, I think the world needs a lot more positive energy and I look forward to contributing heaps of it!

All in all, it was a quick weekend away but I felt like a whole new person when I returned. Refreshed and re-energized, I’m looking forward to taking on every wonderful opportunity that comes my way!

Thank you to each one of you who support me and love me from near and far – know that you’re always in my thoughts.